Ilton



{N0-Modem J. J. HAMILTON.

- MEANS FOR CHANGING MGTION.

No. 555,607. `\`Pa.tented Mar. s, 1896.

. I ME-.

una@

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN JOSEPH HAMILTON, OF NEEPAVA, CANADA.

MEANS FORl CHANGING MOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part vof Letters Patent No. 555,507, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed J' une 3,1895.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, JONATHAN JOSEPH HAM- ILTON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Neepawa, in the county of Beautiful Plains and Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Changing Motion; and I do hereby declarethe following tovbe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanical movements, but more particularly to converting reciprocating motion into rotary or rotary motion into reciprocating motion.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been the practice in devices of this character to cause a stud or projection arranged on a drivewheel to enter slots or grooves in the crosshead to give movement thereto when converting rotary motion into reciprocating, or for the purpose of being driven by said crosshead when converting reciprocating into rotary motion. This arrangement requires considerable power to give the initial movement to the cross-head at each end of the stroke, owing to the distance or leverage necessary to give the proper length of stroke to the piston or other object moved, or requires the consuming of additional power by reason of the necessity of suddenly moving the crosshead from one direction to another without permitting said cross-head to gradually lessen its speed at the end of the stroke of the piston and without gradually starting the crosshead or piston in the opposite direction.

The primary object of my invention is to overcome these objectionable features by providing means for utilizing the smallest possible leverage for giving the initial movement to the cross-head, and to provide means for gradually stopping and starting the crosshead at the end of each stroke of the same.

A further object is to provide simple and eficient means for moving the cross-head and for applying power direct to the piston-rod, thereby making the machine compact by entirely dispensing with the connecting-rod be tween the cross-head and the crank. Y

With these and other objects in view the Serial No. 551,567. (No model.)

invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of the invention as applied to a steam-engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in longitudinal lines the travel of the cross-head while engaged by the outer stud or projection in the drivewheel, also the circuit of the stud or projection of said drive-wheel; an d Figs. 4 and 5 are modied forms of the drive-wheel and cross-head, respectively.

In the drawings, A may designate an engine bed or frame of any suitable or preferred form provided with the usual guides B in alignment with the cylinder@ ofthe engine, only sufficient of said engine being shown to properly illustrate the working of the invention. Passing through the stuffing-box c of the cylinder is a piston-rod or power-arm D, which has a reciprocating movement imparted thereto in any suitable manner, and on the outer end of which is secured a cross-head or block E arranged between the guides B,which serve as a guide for said cross-head. This cross-head E is provided with slots or grooves e and e arranged in the same vertical plane and in the inner face at the upper and lower portion, respectively, of said cross-head, and in a plane outside of the plane of the slots is preferably located a block c2 of substantially rectangular formation which may be rigidly secured to or formed integrally with the crosshead.

Fis a drive or driven wheel or other rotating element which is secured in any suitable manner to a drive-shaft f, which latter is journaled in bearings arranged in any convenient manner. On the drive-wheel and in the same radial line are two studs or projections f and f2, which are preferably provided on their outer ends with antifriction-rollers, one of which is adapted to enter the slots e c of the cross-head, the outer stud being shorter than the inner stud, permitting the same to pass by the block e2, while the inner stud, f2, is

IOO

of sufficient length to engage the edge of said block to continue the movement of the cross-head after the outer stud, f', leaves the slots e e2.

Arranged on the drive-wheel and in substantially the same radial line as the studs f f2 is a cam or cam-faced projection f3, the inner face of which has its greater portion on or near the center or axial line of the driveshaft. This cam is arranged to have its inner face contact with the vertical sides e3 and e4, respectively, of said cross-head as the outer stud leaves either of the slots e' e2, so as to gradually stop the cross-head at a point near or at the axial line of the drive-shaft, and to gradually start the cross-head in an opposite direction by the momentum of the drive wheel or by a separate ilywheel G, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which is secured to the drive shaft and which carries the studs over the dead-centers. The camj face or curved edge of this cam has its outer ends at substantially' the same distance from the center of the stud f2 or f and has its surface struck from diiferent centers, so as to cause a sufficient pause or stop of the crosshead before being moved in the opposite direction.

In the position shown in Fig. 1 the piston and cross-head have been moved by the steam which has been admitted to one end of the cylinder from the point H to the point H. (Shown diagrammaticallyin Fig. 3.) During this movement of the cross-head and piston the stud f will be carried to the point H', at which time the momentum of the drive-wheel or fly-wheel, or both when both are used, will carry the stud f over the dead-center to the point H2, owing to the impetus given the drivewheel by the movement of said cross-head. At the same time that the stud f leaves the slot e the upper curved surface of the cam or projection f3 tends to retard further movement of the cross-head by abutting against the surface e3 thereof until the said surface reaches the greatest curved portion of the cam, (in this case at the center or axial line of the drive-shaft,) where a preferably slight pause or stop will occur, owing to the direct opposing force of the cam when its greatest curved portion is on the dead-center. On further movement of the dri ve-wheel,after the studs pass the dead-center, the lower surface of said cam will contact with the surface e3 of the cross-head and move the same in an opposite direction to a point where the stud f may enter the slot c. The piston and crosshead are now moved in an opposite direction by the steam which is admitted to the opposite end of the cylinderto the point H3, thereby revolving the drive-wheel and iiy-wheel, the momentum of which carries the stud j" to the point H, during which movement the cross-head is gradually stopped and initially started by the cam f3 engaging with the surface c4 in the manner heretofore explained. If the speed of the engine is slow the stud j" will engage the edge of the block e2 of the cross-head prior to and while passing the deadscenter and will move the same to the limit of its stroke, while if the speed is sufficiently great the impetus given the crosshead while the studf' is in either of the slots e el will cause the block e2 of the cross-head to move free of the stud f2.

lVhen converting rotary motion into reciprocating by applying a wind-wheel or other power to the drive-shaft to reciprocate the plunger of a pump or other device, the action of the studs and the cam f" is the same as above explained,except that the outer stud, f drives the crosshead instead of being driven thereby. By this construction no expenditure of power is necessary to carry the drivewheel over the dead-center, or to stop the cross-head at each end of the stroke and initially start it in an opposite direction.

Instead of the form disclosed in Fig. 1,1 may, if found desirable, dispense with the inner stud f2 of the drive-wheel and the block e2 of the cross-head, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this case an oval groove e5 is formed in the cross-head for the passage of the stud f after leaving the slots e and e', both the stud f and the cam f3 performing the same function as above described.

The cross-head E and the power-arm D may be supported in any suitable manner and may be reciprocated by any other means than a steam-engine, and when converting rotary motion into reciprocating any suitable power may be applied to the drive-shaft. The dis tance of the studs or projections from each other or from the cam f3 may be changed, or their general arrangement and form may be varied, and the form of the cross-head and block e2 may be altered to suit different requirements.

It is obvious that two ormore of the devices may be applied to the same shaft, as in case of locomotives, in which case the parts will be so arranged that one engine will operate to positively rotate one drive-wheel as the other wheel of the shaft is passing the deadcenter.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a cross-head provided with slots therein, of a rotating element having a projection or stud adapted to enter the slots in said cross-head intermediate the dead-centers, and to move free of said crosshead while passing said centers, together with a cam arranged on said rotating element adapted to contact with a portion of the crosshead prior to and while passing the dead-centers so as to gradually stop said cross-head and to contact therewith after passing the said centers so as to initially start the crosshead in an opposite direction, substantially as described.

2. A means for changing motion, comprising a cross-head mounted upon suitable sup- IOO ports and provided with a slot at the upper and lower portion thereof, respectively, a drivewheel having a stud or projection arranged thereon adapted to enter said slots intermediate the dead-centers and to move free of said cross-head while passing said centers, and a cam arranged on the drive-wheel adapted to contact with a rigid portion of the cross-head prior to and while passing the dead-centers so as to graduallystop said cross-head and to contact therewith after passing the said centers so as to initially start the cross-head in an opposite direction,whereby the cross-head may be gradually stopped and initially started at each end of the stroke, substantially as described.

3. A means for changing motion, comprising a cross-head provided with slots at the upper and lower portion, respectively, thereof, a substantiallyrectangular block arranged on said cross-head, a drive-wheel provided with two projections or studs, one of which is adapted to Contact with said block and the other adapted to enter the slots in the cross-head, and a cam arranged on the drive-wheel adapted to contact with a portion of said cross-head to gradually stop and initially start the same at each end of the stroke, substantially as described.

4. In a means for changing motion, the combination,with a cross-head having slots in the upper and lower portion, respectively, thereof and provided with a centrally-arranged substantially-rectangular block, of a drive-wheel provided with two studs arranged in the same radial line and projecting from the same side of said drive-wheel, one of which studs is adapted to contact with the block and the other adapted to enter the slots in said crosshead, together with a cam arranged on the drive-wheel adapted to gradually stop and initially start the same at each end of the stroke, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aftiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JONATHAN JOSEPH HAMILTON. Witnesses:

BETHUEL R. HAMILTON, FRED L. DAvIs. 

